• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.101-109
• /
• 1996

Effects of process variables were evaluated in physical properties of the wood fiber-thermoplastic fiber composites using nonwoven web method. Turbulent air mixer using compressed air was employed to mix wood fiber with two types of thermoplastic polypropylene and nylon 6 fibers. The optimal hot press temperature and time were found to be $190^{\circ}C$ and 9 minutes in wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite and to be $220^{\circ}C$ and 9 minutes in wood fiber-nylon 6 fiber composite. As the density of wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite and wood fiber-nylon 6 fiber composite increased, the physical properties were improved The density appeared to be the most significant factor on physical properties in the statistical analysis. The composition ratio of polypropylene or nylon 6 fiber to wood fiber was considered not to be statistically significant factor. The thickness swelling decreased somewhat in wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite and wood fiber-nylon 6 fiber composite as the content of synthetic fiber increased. As the increase of mat moisture content, dimensional stability was improved in wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite but not in wood fiber-nylon 6 fiber composite.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.58-65
• /
• 1997

This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of process variables on mechanical properties of the wood fiber-thermoplastic fiber composites by turbulent air mixing method. The turbulent air mixer used in this experiment was specially designed in order to mix wood fiber and thermoplastic polypropylene or nylon 6 fiber, and was highly efficient in the mixing of relatively short plastic fiber and wood fiber in a short time without any trouble. The adequate hot - pressing temperature and time in our experimental condition were $190^{\circ}C$ and 9 minutes in 90% wood fiber - 10% polypropylene fiber composite and $220^{\circ}C$ and 9 minutes in 90% wood fiber 10% nylon 6 fiber composite. Both in the wood fiber - polypropylene fiber composite and wood fiber- nylon 6 fiber composite, the mechanical properties improved with the increase of density. Statistically, the density of composite appeared to function as the most significant factor in mechanical properties. Within the 5~15% composition ratios of polypropylene or nylon 6 fiber to wood fiber, the composition ratio showed no significant effect on the mechanical properties. Bending and tensile strength of composite, however, slightly increased with the increase of synthetic fiber content. The increase of mat moisture content showed no significant improvement of mechanical properties both in wood fiber - polypropylene fiber composite and wood fiber nylon 6 fiber composite. Wood fiber - nylon 6 fiber composite was superior in th mechanical strength to wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite, which may be related to higher melt flow index of nylon 6 fiber(22g/10min) than of polypropylene fiber(4.3g/10min).

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.36-46
• /
• 2001

This study was to find a way of reusing wood and plastic wastes, which considered as a troublesome problem to be solved in this age of mass production and consumption, in manufacturing wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite panel. And the feasibility of this composite panel as a substitute for existing headliner base panel of automobile was also discussed, especially based on physical and mechanical performance. Nonwoven web composite panels were made from wood fiber and polypropylene fiber formulations of 50 : 50, 60 : 40, and 70 : 30, based on oven-dry weight, with densities of 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 g/$cm^3$. At the same density levels, control fiberboards were also manufactured for performance comparison with the composite panels. Their physical and mechanical properties were tested according to ASTM D 1037-93. To elucidate thickness swelling mechanism of composite panel through the observation of morphological change of internal structures, the specimens before and after thickness swelling test by 24-hour immersion in water were used in scanning electron microscopy. Test results in this study showed that nonwoven web composite panel from wood fibers and polypropylene fibers had superior physical and mechanical properties to control fiberboard. In the physical properties of composite panel, dimensional stability improved as the content of polypropylene fiber increased, and the formulation of wood fiber and polypropylene fiber was considered to be a significant factor in the physical properties. Water absorption decreased but thickness swelling slightly increased with the increase of panel density. In the mechanical properties of composite panel, the bending modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) appeared to improve with the increase of panel density under all the tested conditions of dry, heated, and wet. The formulation of wood fiber and polypropylene fiber was considered not to be a significant factor in the mechanical properties. All the bending MOR values under the dry, heated, and wet conditions met the requirements in the existing headliner base panel of resin felt.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.47-58
• /
• 2001

For finding both ways of recycling the wood and plastic wastes and solving the problem of free formaldehyde gas emission through manufacturing wood particle-polypropylene fiber composite board without addition of formaldehyde-based thermosetting resin adhesive, control particleboards and nonwoven web composite boards from wood particle and polypropylene fiber formulation of 50 : 50, 60 : 40, and 70 : 30 were manufactured at density levels of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8 g/$cm^3$, and were tested both in the physical and mechanical properties according to ASTM D 1037-93. In the physical properties, control particleboard had significantly higher moisture content than composite board. In composite board, moisture content decreased with the increase of target density only in the board with higher content of polypropylene fiber and also appeared to increase with the increase of wood particle content at a given target density. Control particleboard showed significantly greater water absorption than composite board and its water absorption decreased with the increase of target density. In composite board, water absorption decreased with the increase of target density at a given formulation but increased with the increase of wood particle content at a given target density. After 2 and 24 hours immersion, control particleboard was significantly higher in thickness swelling than composite board and its thickness swelling increased with the increase of target density. In composite board, thickness swelling did not vary significantly with the target density at a given formulation but its thickness swelling increased as wood particle content increased at a given target density. Static bending MOR and MOE under dry and wet conditions increased with the increase of target density at a given formulation of wood particle and polypropylene fiber. Especially, the MOR and MOE under wet condition were considerably larger in composite board than in control particleboard. In general, composite board showed superior bending strength properties to control particleboard, And the composite board made from wood particle and polypropylene fiber formulation of 50 : 50 at target density of 0.8 g/$cm^3$ exhibited the greatest bending strength properties. Though problems in uniform mixing and strong binding of wood particle with polypropylene fiber are unavoidable due to their extremely different shape and polarity, wood particle-polypropylene fiber composite boards with higher performance, as a potential substitute for the commercial particleboards, could be made just by controlling processing variables.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.33-44
• /
• 1997

This study was executed to examine the effects of polypropylene fiber length and process variables of the composites made from wood fiber and nonwood fiber mixed formulations. As a nonwood fiber the polypropylene with 3 denier thickness of tow condition was selected and cut into each length of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5cm to mix with wood fiber. And also western hemlock wood fiber for medium density fiberboard was prepared. First, to decide an adequate polypropylene mixing fiber length, the composites of 1.0g/$cm^3$ density were made from 10% polypropylene fiber by each of five lengths and 90% western hemlock fiber mixed formulations. Thereafter as the experiments of process variable, the composites applied with adequate polypropylene fiber length(1.5cm) were made from 4 density levels (0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2g/$cm^3$). 3 mixed formulations of wood fiber to polypropylene fiber(95 : 5, 90 : 10, 85 : 15), and 3 mat moisture contents(5, 10, 20%). According to the results and discussions it was concluded as follows ; The physical and mechanical properties were shown improved tendency. as polypropylene fiber length was increased in the range from 0.5 to 1.5cm, but shown decreasing tendency from 2.0 to 2.5 cm. Accordingly, it was shown that polypropylene fiber length is limited to 1.5cm or less length in mixing wood fiber and polypropylene fiber by turbulent air mixing process. As the densities of wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composites were increased, the physical and mechanical properties were clearly improved. Also they were shown significantly increasement statistically between densities respectively. In the mixed formulations, physical and mechanical properties were shown only slightly improvement, as they changed from 95 : 5 to 85 : 15 in wood fiber to polypropylene fiber. Despite of increasement of mat moisture content, mechanical properties were not improved significantly but physical properties were improved somewhat in wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composites.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.48-58
• /
• 2002

This study was carried out through scanning electron microscopy to elucidate the mechanism of thickness swelling in wood particle-polypropylene composite which is a typical way of using wood and plastic materials. For this purpose, control particleboards and nonwoven web composites from wood particle and polypropylene fiber formulations of 100:0, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 were manufactured at target density levels of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8 g/cm³. Their water absorption and thickness swelling were tested according to ASTMD 1037-93 (1995). To elucidate thickness swelling mechanism of composite through the observation of morphological change of internal structures, the specimens before and after thickness swelling test by 24-hour immersion in water were used in scanning electron microscopy. From the scanning electron microscopy, thickness swelling of composite was thought to be caused by the complicated factors of degree of built-up internal stresses by mat compression and/or amount of wood particles encapsulated with molten polypropylene fibers during hot pressing. In the composites with wood particle contents of 50 to 60% at target densities of 0.5 to 0.8 g/cm³ and with wood particle content of 70% at target densities of 0.5 to 0.7 g/cm³, thickness swellings seemed to be largely dependent upon the restricted water uptake by encapsulated wood particles with molten polypropylene fibers. Thickness swelling in the composite with wood particle content of 70% at target density of 0.8 g/cm³, however, was thought to be principally dependent upon the increased springback phenomenon by built-up internal stresses of compressed mat.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.76-86
• /
• 1998

Effects of processing variables and MAPP (maleic anhydride polypropylene) coupling agent on the properties of composite were discussed for turbulent-air-mixed woodfiber-polypropylenefiber composites. In this research, density, composition ratio, and mat moisture content were established as processing variables, and emulsified MAPP prepared by direct pressure method was incorporated as the coupling agent. And the turbulent air mixer, which was improved in function through alteration of our previous fiber mixer, was used to mix wood fibers and polypropylene fibers. At the addition level of 1% MAPP, based on oven-dried wood fiber weight, woodfiber-polypropylenefiber composites generally showed enhanced the physical and mechanical properties. And composites with low to medium densities of 0.6 to 0.8g/$cm^3$ greatly increased in these property values than with high densities of 1.0g/$cm^3$ or more by adding 1 % MAPP. Thus, MAPP addition was thought to be an effective way of enhancing properties for nonwoven web composites. At the mat moisture contents of 5 to 20%, however, the physical and mechanical properties were not enhanced by adding 1% MAPP. In the composites containing 15% polypropylene fibers, the lowest thickness swelling and water absorption values were observed at the 1% MAPP level. The addition of more than 1% MAPP had the adverse effect on the physical and mechanical properties of composites.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.38-44
• /
• 1998

A new device that uses turbulent air for mixing wood fibers with thermoplastic fibers was designed and its mixing effectiveness was evaluated in wood fiber and polypropylene fiber composites. Composites made by the turbulent air mixing (TAM) process performed better than composites made by the conventional Rando-Webber forming or nonwoven web process with an additional needling step. Thus, the TAM process proved to be a simple and efficient method in mixing wood fibers with short thermoplastic fibers for the production of wood fiber and thermoplastic fiber composites.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.24-29
• /
• 2008

Polypropylene-natural fiber composites have been prepared and their rheological properties during mixing and thermal properties were investigated. Two types of natural fibers (cotton fiber and wood fiber) were compared. On increasing fiber contents, the torque values of composites were increased, where the cotton fiber exhibited higher increase in torques. The torque values of composites were higher as the MI of PP decreased. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry results showed an increase in the crystallization temperature but a decrease of crystallinity of the PP/natural fiber composites on increasing fiber contents.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.9-23
• /
• 2006

Control particleboards were significantly higher in thickness swelling than wood particle-polypropylene fiber composites and their thickness swelling increased with the increase of target density. In the composites, thickness swelling did not vary significantly with the increase of target density but increased with the increase of wood particle content. And the composites with fine wood particles were significantly lower in thickness swelling than those with coarse wood particles irrespective of target density and formulation. In the scanning electron microscopy, significantly higher thickness swelling in the composites with coarse wood particles was thought to be the result of more interfacial separations by higher swelling stresses.